Amazing. Truly spectacular communication, flexibility, and attention to detail. From day one, Brian and the team were easy going and very accommodating. On the day of our Vow Renewal, my wife and I were running late, and were pleasantly surprised to find that the catering staff had taken it upon themselves to carefully put out our centerpieces, which we thought we would have to do. They even packed them away at the end of the night. We got multiple compliments from guests admiring the service. The team was extremely friendly, packed away leftovers for us and other guests, and was on top of their game the whole night! Ali was flexible with our last-minute changes, and Brian even drove to multiple locations just to find the same wine we drank on our honeymoon (which was a hit) so guests could partake. We are so so pleased. They were easily the best vendor of the entire event. read more

Dear Brian: I cannot even begin to tell you how delightful the evening catering was strategically put out. The food was extraordinary and the servers were super great at getting folks to "splurge" and just have one more. Oh my gosh, most folks beamed with pleasure after tasting the Beef wellingstons, the lettuce wraps, the crab cakes, those pear tarlets! Some even carried on discussion on how healthy the appetizers were. Cheat A Little selections were really a hit! The greenery/decor made a nice festive touch that seemed to invite folks over to have a coke or a little wine and cheer. We had a live acoustic musician playing in the background, and the whole time was bathed in warmth and good tidings. It was beyond enjoyable, delicious, and great. I'm fairly new at the San Mateo County History Museum, so I don't have the years of experience that others might have to know how well adapted you and your company Cheat-A-Little are to these events. I am so pleased with myself for trusting you. High-five, a TEN, perfect score for you and your excellent catering business my friend! Under the Rotunda the set up, quality foods, and tall tables made it the finest, friendliest, most festive time. We are so so pleased. Thanks a million! Thanks from the San Mateo County History Museum staff! read more

See all

Everything at our party was fantastic. Five stars for sure! We love Mike and Ali, they were so gracious. The food was delicious and the presentations were beyond expectations. The salads were a work of art! Our guests were impressed as well. They were raving about the food with every course. The cake was yummy. My wife says even the raspberries on the cake were perfectly arranged. She was so touched. One guest wanted all the contact info. for CAL. I think they will be calling. I said above FIVE STARS for sure. You and your crew made the evening so very special. read more

What a terrible outfit. Their name says it all. Amature cooking at inflated prices, and pot-luck quality. If you want swill, then this is the place for you. read more

Best catering experience ever. Brian and staff were absolute professionals: friendly, and well-organized. This was for a small party, but they treated us with the same respect and attention to detail that you would expect on larger events. Very easy to work with, followed thtough on what we wanted, and made good recommendations. They pre-inspected our premises and, on the day of the party, moved with the precision of a surgical team to set up. Food and service were excellent. No disappointments. We (and our guests) were very pleased and can highly recommend. read more

We hired Brian and staff to cater a Celebration of Life. Brian worked with us to accommodate some guests with dietary needs. The food was very artistically presented and located logically for the flow of people. The crew arrived on time and got to,work immediately to make sure the set up was completed before any guests arrived. We were very pleased with the food as well, fruits and vegetables were very fresh, the desserts delicious. We were very happy with the service we received from Brian and his crew. We will work with them again without hesitation. read more

Just hosted my 3rd party in 3 years with Cheat A Little. Fantastic staff and easy as always! Everyone always compliments the food, and my wife and I have almost nothing to do after party over. read more

Cheat A Little Catering - a table set up for a party - Caterers Near Me

Help us cater our sons engagement party and was very happy with the service and the food! We did not have a kitchen at our location so we were concerned with food not being warm, but they came prepared and all the food turned out fabulous! Highly recommend! Great job read more

Cheat A Little Catering - two chefs serving food - Caterers Near Me

Brian catered our wedding on May,4th we could not have picked a better caterer. He was professional and helpful from start to finish. The day of the wedding his team arrived early and were very professional, kind, respectful and they went above and beyond to make sure everything went smoothly. The food was AMAZING!! our guests loved it. Thank you Brian and your team for making our special day even more special! read more

We did catering for cocktail event with cheat a little. Food wasn't tasty, oil was leaked on serving plater, not presented nicely and not served with smile. Server didn't even know what she is been serving. Not happy at all. Won't recommend them. And desserts=disappoint, very run down quality. read more

Used this catering business now a couple of times. Very professional food is amazing . Brian is very nice helpful easy to work with. I received many complements on the potatoes salad and brazen beef ribs. read more

Brian and his team are terrific. Had an event scheduled for Dec 10, '21 with another caterer in a venue that had strict insurance requirements that my first caterer couldn't fulfill at the last minute. Contacted Brian and he worked with me and the venue to produce all of their COIs (Certificate of Insurance). We had a great dinner and his team was easy to work with and the food was FABULOUS!! He saved our event and everyone was so appreciative of it. Please use them - you won't be sorry! read more

Brian and his staff were amazing in all facets of the process for our wedding. We did not have someone else coordinating our wedding and working with someone as kind, patient, and knowledgeable as Brian in the lead up to the big day was extremely helpful. Regarding quality, simply put, the food was excellent. Cela and Brian's staff executed flawlessly on the day of the event. In addition to being efficient, they also brought the joy. Our guests were thrilled with everything which was important to us. Can't thank Cheat A Little Catering enough and I highly recommend their services to anyone looking for a great food and service at their event. read more

First off, the name, Cheat-A-Little is spot on and they are not talking about cheating on the calories. Recently went to an event where they were the caterers. The wait staff for Cheat A Little worked very hard, the actual caterer, not so much. He showed up once and disappeared. Basically, I would not recommend this caterer. Prior to the event, emails were never promptly answered, any question asked was met with "let me find out" and weeks would go by with no response. Responses to questions regarding the food, desserts were skimpy at best. The final estimate wasn't even provided until a few days before the event, which is well past any deadlines to review, change or add anything, even though it was requested at least a month prior to the event. His portions per person were way too small and he was non-present during the dinner. His pricing, as it turned out, was out of line and inflated in relation to what was actually provided on event night. This caterer did not meet any expectations and provided service that was well below what was being charged. I've seen responses from the owner to all the complaints, basically saying, "oh sorry" and "all the best to you and your family." Please do not bother to respond unless you are offering a small refund for the many frustrations your clients endure or at least just start to "Care-a-Little". There were appetizers and a buffet dinner (100 people). Well, there were supposed to be appetizers, but they were few and far between. Two of the appetizers the guests never saw or there was such a small amount of them they were gone after 1 pass. Unless you parked yourself near where they were plating the appetizers (we were outdoors for the appetizers) you never saw them being passed around. If you are going to have a little plate with at most 10 appetizers on there and go around once, it will never make the rounds. The bride and groom didn't even get many appetizers, shouldn't they be top priority? The immediate family being photographed promptly after the service were to be served appetizers as well and that, again, never happened. Promises made were not fulfilled. The buffet dinner was good but unfortunately the caterer "cheated" (hence the name) on the portions. I have never been to a buffet dinner where there wasn't enough for someone to get seconds, let alone a first plate if you were the last few tables to be served. There was "just" enough for the last few tables which meant they cheated on the per person portion. You can't make lots of mashed potatoes? We feel this caterer operates on the basis that you will most likely not recommend his services which he seems ok with, and since a wedding is a one time thing, extra care and pride in his work is not high priority. Again, strongly would not recommend. "Cheat-A-Little, he means it. read more

I am a Wedding Coordinator who recently collaborated with Brian and his team on a wedding at CuriOdyssey in San Mateo. Long story short - the wedding was a success, service was smooth, and Brian's team helped make it all happen. Leading up to the wedding, he was very hands on in preparing the details for the set up of the day. He and the bride chose linens, napkins, and other colors together. We had a venue walk through together where we Brian took detailed notes and provided feedback on setup. This kind of personal attention is what takes vendors from good to great. Cheat-A-Little was very accommodating of dietary restrictions, which I think can be sometimes hard to find. We had several guests who were vegan, vegetarian, and garlic-free. Brian handled releasing tables to buffet - something I usually do - and it made things so much easier as he knows how his kitchen and staff work. The service team was polite and on top of things. They were on time, efficient, and adjusted to any changes easily. Break down and clean up was a breeze. From a Wedding Planner to any prospective client, I highly recommend Cheat-A-Little Catering! read more

Cheat a Little catered my August 2018 wedding at the CuriOdyssey Museum. I reached out to them because they are on the approved caterer list and I knew they'd know the venue and its logistics. Our wedding's organization definitely benefited from the company's positive relationship with the museum. I worked with Brian, who was professional and organized from the start. Cheat a Little coordinated table/linen/flatware/glassware rentals, non alcoholic drinks, cocktail hour food, dinner buffet and a dessert/coffee bar. Our menu was 3 passed appetizers and some stationary mezze platters of hummus and pita. For entrees, beef, fish and limited portion vegetarian buffet items with salads and roasted vegetables on the side. CAL also coordinated florals and MC services from other vendors. My fiance and I bought our own beer/wine for Cheat a Little to serve, ordered a cake from an outside vendor, hired a band ourselves and hired an outside wedding coordinator. It was great that CAL could scale their services to as much or as little as we needed - florals and MC were services we added later. After signing on with CAL, I went to a free tasting to sample the menu. It was easy to make a few small changes - the team can do anything, menu-wise. As the date of our event approached, I worked with Brian, our wedding coordinator and the venue to plan a table layout. We initially scoped 175 guests, thought we had 200 one month out and had 210 day of. Cheat a Little accommodated with no problems. Our guests raved about the food, the professionalism and organization of the staff and the overall smoothness of the event. We even got to keep leftover food, which was great to feed family who stayed in town after the wedding. Highly recommended! read more

The finest company I have ever worked with. Brian took care of everything with an ease and a grace which gave me such confidence. I didn't have to worry about anything and everything was done perfectly. The food was scrumptious, the servers were very professional and the room looked beautiful. I had 38 women for a gratitude gathering and I must say I am very grateful for having found Brian and Cheat A Little. I'd never think of ever using anyone else but Brian and Cheat A Little. Thank you for all you do ...and you do it so well! read more

We spent $200 per guest on catering, and the honoree's name was misspelled on the menus. (The name was spelled correctly on the contract and invoice). In general, slow communication and lack of attention to details. Would not recommend. read more

Hello We used Cheat a Little for my dads celebration of life. These things are hard to plan in terms of getting a proper head count. We ended up having over 200 guests while predicting 125. Brian and has staff took everything in stride and worked so hard for the event. They provided excellent service. In addition, they were very complimentary of the event itself and were just a pleasure to work with. Regarding Brian, the owner, I have to say I have never been so impressed with someone. We had mistakenly thought that the venue we went with provided a speaker and sound system (long story). We walked in the venue at 2pm for a 3pm start time to discover no podium, sound system or microphone. Brian somehow got on the phone, ordered one, picked it up, installed it and got it working by 3:30. One of the most impressive pieces of customer service I have ever witnessed. Needless to say the event was marvelous, a fitting tribute to my dad. Thank you to Cheat a Little! Kevin Brodie read more

We had a tasting with Cheat a Little Catering a couple months ago when we were trying to decide which caterer to use for our October wedding. Although we didn't end up choosing Cheat a Little Catering, I still want to give the tasting experience some props! Brian was very professional. He and his chef came prepared with everything they needed for the tasting, including the cutlery, glassware, and plates. Our table was set up very nicely to show what sort of table setting could be used. When the food was served, the chef described each dish to us so we knew exactly how the dish was prepared. Overall, the food was great and we didn't really have many complaints. The tasting was for four people, but they made more than enough for each of us to get a taste. They even packed up the leftovers for us to keep. It was our first tasting experience and definitely left a very good impression. They even sneaked in some extra desserts for us to taste too! Although we didn't end up choosing Cheat a Little Catering in the end for other reasons, I would still highly recommend their services. One thing I really liked was that they had a "master menu" for you to choose from when you are trying to choose the menu for your event. After you give them some of your preferred choices and your budget, they are able to create a menu that would work for you. I don't know anything about the food industry and know nothing about what a reasonable budget is, so having that guideline to work with was definitely helpful for me. I believe they have their own showroom for you to visit, so most, if not all, their rentals are all in-house, which is another plus if you don't want to deal with too many vendors when planning an event. read more

Okay--it's been 2 years since my wedding but my experience with Cheat a Little was SO good, I had to come back and write a review as soon as I had some time on my hands! They provided catering and rentals (linens, table settings, furniture) for my wedding at CuriOdyssey. Brian was easy to work with, and I really liked having clear, itemized invoices so I could be exactly sure of what we were getting and where our money was going. The food itself was wonderful, and we got compliments from everyone! With us brides being so busy taking photos during cocktail hour, it was delightful to sit down at our table to a plate of appetizers that Brian and his team had set aside for us, so we could be sure to have a taste. Brian is really experienced in his role, and had catered many weddings at our venue, so he was able to seamlessly guide our guests from cocktail hour up to dinner, and was super efficient in getting all the tables served at the buffet. I am not surprised that he is flooded with new inquiries in the current wedding boom! I would say, if you find that you haven't gotten a response from Brian, just follow up again. The quality of the service is worth the effort! read more

We did wedding catering and rental through cheat a little. Highly recommend! Everything worked out very smoothly. It did not take any of my attention on the day. Everything just magically appeared in place. (With all the things happening on the wedding day, it means so much.) Many guests commented on how great the food is!! We have a fairly tight budget and Brian was able to work it out with us. I do want to mention that a percentage service fee is applied to all the services you get through cheat a little. Something to keep in mind while budgeting. In the end the smooth transition is definitely worth it. I wouldn't do it another way. read more

We used them for my son and daughter-in-law's baby shower. They were very easy to work with and very accommodating of our last minute changes. Day of the event, they came in like a whirlwind and set up and were ready to go when the guests arrived. The servers were very attentive to the guests, as well as making sure the buffet was well stocked. We received great reviews on the service as well as the food. When the party was over, the kitchen was clean and the extra food was packaged and in the refrigerator. And their price was very reasonable. Couldn't have asked for more, and would definitely use them again. read more

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank Brian and his team. We hired them to assist us with a community event and during a time where social distancing and just being plain ole safe is so extremely important, Brian was able to help us navigate it all, while preparing an incredible lunch for the community. Outstanding service Brian, thank you! read more

Absolutely wonderful catering service! I worked a lot with Brian and Nikki and was extremely pleased with how nice, flexible and helpful they both were. After walking through the venue for my partner's surprise party, Nikki helped me design a layout of the place and offered her advice on amount of tables to use, which actually saved me money. They were extremely flexible with the menu and my overall requests - I think I changed things 5 or so times, ha. All of my guests LOVED the food (beef tenderloin, citrus salad, bread, jalapeño mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, vegan quinoa stuffed tomatoes and brownies). The wait staff and bartender were AMAZING!! Extremely personable and friendly, willing to help with things outside of their "task". I would recommend this catering company to anyone who would like to work with fun, positive, flexible and understanding people! read more

We needed help catering a party on short notice, and Cheat A Little Catering saved the day! James was so easy to work with and super helpful. I loved that they had ideas for popular kids' food, as our party had kids and adults. The food was delicious and the cook and server were wonderful - I highly recommend them! read more

I have a side business as an Event Coordinator and Cheat A Little Catering will always be a top pick of mine! They are so quick on response time, offer a wide selection and are always happy to customize a menu to fit my clients needs. James is my go to guy and not only has a wonderful presence but is highly knowledgeable. Their delivery team has a great attitude and is very engaging with both myself and my clients. Thank you Cheat A Little for all that you do! You absolutely have my recommendation! read more

We hired Cheat A Little Catering for our wedding and we couldn't be more satisfied. Everything was perfect. The food was delicious, great selection of cheeses and quality service. read more

Cheat A Little Catering - Caterers Near Me

Cheat A Little team pulled together and pulled off the ideal menu and presentation for my husband's 50th birthday. I wanted a playful, festive, tasteful evening blending early summer garden dinner party with a rustic medieval-feast styled event to take advantage of the lovely old tudor home and garden we've rented while in Mountain View. Oh, did I mention Cheat A Little Catering had a week to pull this off? Yeah. No problem, follow through and follow up was fantastic. One call with Tara (who got me, she really GOT me!), one meeting with Tara & Brian - a couple phone calls and texts - and a week later they were there with the tables, chairs, linens, lights, candles, serverware, stemware, appetisers and a dinner that that people are still raving about a month later!! I'm not kidding, I'd be tired of hearing about it except I had the BEST time too! (Got to enjoy my own party thanks to CAL!) The feast featured the most massive and magnificent standing rib roast, crowned racks of NZ lamb, stuffed and beautifully roasted cornnish game hens - herb roasted root vegetables - rustic salad - loaves of chunky bread and amazing butter (seriously, the bread and the butter... my god...) Exactly what I wanted, exactly the way I wanted it. Tara and Brian nailed it! I picked up my own wine and wish I had let them do it. Though we surely drank plenty of it, I wasn't crazy about the pairings and am sure Brian's team would have chosen better for the menu. That would have been enough, but the staff - Brian and Tara,the chef staff took over my kitchen, brought in everything they needed cleaned and left it nearly just as they found it! And the servers - what sports! They worked fast, quietly, engaged if needed but for the most part silently and pleasantly served. Oh, did I mention the servers were Ren Fair veterans and came dressed as "Serving Wenches"! (I dignify the job title with captialization to overcome my discomfort with the term.) We didn't ask them too. They just thought it would add to the lightheartedness of the event. (And it did. Not in a Medieval Times experience kinda way. Many of our friends were dressed with at minimum homage to super heros, Doctor Who characters, Star Trek/Wars derivitiives. So serving wenches at the Medieval Garden Feast... Why not!? Oh yeah, Tara had even sourced giant dragon heads and suits of armor (I got my own - thanks craigslist!) Scale was no problem at this event. Seriously... it was amazing. Yep, it wasn't your average party - but it wasn't for your average group. It was our closest friends, some family, the people we love most, who love us most. And it was P.E.R.F.E.C.T. The service and the food, combined with the playfulness we had built into the event and evening has been describedas an "epic" and "magical" - and it really was. Thank you Cheat A Little Catering. That evening anchored and amazing 3-day friends & family festival we'll all remember for a long time. So - no matter what scale or complexity of your party - a simple, beautiful garden party or a wild medieval feast. A kids birthday or a corporate tasting event. It wouldn't matter. I'd trust Cheat A Little. to GET IT and NAIL IT. And yes, I now own two huge suits of armor. Call Cheat A Little if you'd like to rent them for your next feast! :-) read more

I used them over the weekend to cater my Baby Shower. They arrived ahead of schedule to set up and provided very nice display serving trays. They also printed out label cards, so my guests knew what each dish was. The planning process was easy and done primarily via email. Lots of entree selections and items that are low fat; as we wanted to keep our catering somewhat healthy and light in meal content. The waldorf and spinach salads were light and so good!!! My guests commented the whole time on how great the food was. Pricing was reasonable, compared to other local venues and last minute additions were easy to make with no hassle. read more

I used there services for our event reception last last week for around 50 to 60 people and they were amazing. I called them last minute and they were able to fit us in and were very helpful with the food selection and organizing everything. I ordered the Caprese Skewers, Sesame Chicken Won Tons,Vegetable Crudités, Cocktail Meatballs, Beef & Bleu, Soft Lavash Wrap, Fresh Fruit Platter and Petite Dessert Display. All items were finger size which made it very easy for our guests to continue talking while also enjoying some delicious food. There staff members were wonderful and very accommodating. They assembled the Chicken Won Tons while they were there which made them nice and fresh with the Won Tons still crispy. Staff members monitored the food and replenished when necessary making it a very relaxing and enjoyable reception for me. Highly recommended!! Thank you so much! read more

Recently hired this team to cater a private company event at my home and it was an exceptional experience. The food was fantastic - everyone raved about all the dishes. The staff was professional, organized and affable. No detail overlooked. We were all extremely impressed. I would not hesitant to hire them again. Great job!! read more

Last Friday night I attended a private event that hosted 600 people. I was amazed how efficient and friendly the staff of the catering company was. I had Salmon. I wasn't sure if it was the best choice for so many dinners being served. It was amazing. Cooked perfectly. Also the bartenders were so nice. I will hire this company for my future events. read more

The food and staff are amazing! Absolutely top notch! We used Cheat-a-Little for our wedding and they did an outstanding job. They managed the food, rentals, and serving. This made it all a lot more simplified and really made the service seamless. I cannot say enough about the food, our guests couldn't either; they kept raving about the tri-tip and the chicken! The serving staff was kind, respectful, and very pleasing to deal with. Brian went out of his way to meet our needs and reach our goal. He was exceptional when it came to planning, and our wedding planners couldn't say enough about how good he and his kitchen staff were on the day-of. Cheat-a-Little is without a doubt your next catering vendor, don't look anywhere else. read more

Oh My Goodness! Amazing!! My husband and I got married on 7/18/15, but we booked Brian over a year prior to that and we could not be any happier with the quality of the food and the service we received from this company. I would do it all again for some more buffalo chicken meatballs and the mashed potato bar. Our guests were extremely pleased with the selection of food at our wedding buffet. Not only that, but Brian is a doll and helped us plan and tweak things along the entire process. We had a lot of questions (and we were a bit disorganized at times) and Brian always emailed us back in a timely manner with helpful suggestions. I can not rave about Cheat a Little any more. And when people ask about our wedding, one of the first things I mention is how awesome the food was. Thank you Brian and thank you to your crew. We love you guys and will recommend you to whomever will listen to our praises. read more

Excellent customer service and responsiveness. Brian prepared an amazing and thoughtful menu for our son's party. We're looking forward to working with him for parties in the future. read more

THANK YOU!!!!!!! Last night's event was a huge success thanks to you and your team. I enjoyed working with your chef and server (I'd type in their names if I could recall - it's been a long week!) from the moment they arrived throughout the evening. They were truly professional and efficient and the setup of the buffet was beautiful. And the food - it was spectacular! The clients who were able to stay for dinner were truly impressed and this morning were still talking about how much they enjoyed dinner last night. On a personal note, those whipped potatoes were so worth the wait!! Overall, I'm so glad we had the chance to work with you. You made the process very easy and I never felt nervous or anxious about the event. I can't thank you guys enough and will look forward to working with you in the future should we plan something similar. read more

I attended a large dinner affair past Friday night at which Cheat a Little was the caterer. The food was very poor and the service was even worse. I would not hire them for anything. read more

Cheat a little catering catered my dad's 75th birthday lunch party a few weeks ago and it was done beautifully. Brian was very understanding and accommodating with last minute requests. The chef who came to our home did an amazing job with the food - everything (lamb, prime, salmon) was done to perfection. Even my dad was mighty impressed and he's a serious Michelin foodie snob. Highly recommended, what a local gem. read more

Brian is probably the most accommodating vendor I have ever met. He really will go above and beyond to take a little stress off of his clients. Customer service -- AMAZING. He is completely the " sure, no problem. we can do that" guy. Now on to the food. DELICIOUS. We used him for our wedding reception. For the tasting he came to our house with one of his chefs, and cooked the dinner right on the spot. It was a great personal touch. Our dinner was buffett style and we had passed appetizers during cocktail hour. All of the appetizers were great, but the crab cakes were definitely a crowd favorite. Brian and his staff really work with you to create a perfect menu. I told him that my husband and his family were steak and potato lovers, so Brian came up with the idea for a mashed potato bar! How cool and creative. It was a big hit. All of the entrees were delicious and so fresh. I sometimes get worried when things sit in a hot tray for too long, but even the salmon was perfect. I would recommend Brian and his staff for any event, big or small. read more